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How to Add a Work Order Process

Overview​

Building a Work Order Process means writing down, once, how a product is made — the stages it goes through, in order, and what each stage needs. Once it's saved, every batch of that product can simply follow this route, so you never have to plan the steps again.

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Availability depends on your plan and your role.

Before you start​

  • The finished product you're making should already exist as an item.
  • The raw materials and parts each stage uses should also exist as items.
  • It helps to have your stages clear in your head first — walk the product through your shop floor in order.

Step-by-step guide​

Step 1: Open the Work Order Process form​

From the left sidebar, open Production, then Work Order Process, and click Add to start a new route. A blank form opens.

Step 2: Name the route​

Template name (Required)

Give the route a clear, recognisable name — something you'll spot in a list later, like "Steel bracket — standard line" or "House blend — 1 kg pack". If a product can be made more than one way, the name is how you'll tell the routes apart.

Step 3: Choose the finished item it makes​

Finished item (Required)

Pick the product this route produces — the thing you'll have in your hands at the end. This is the item that lands back in your stock when a batch finishes.

Step 4: Add the stages, in order​

This is the heart of the route. Add each stage in the order it actually happens on your shop floor. For a metal part that might be Cutting → Welding → Painting → Packing; for a food product, Mixing → Cooking → Cooling → Packaging.

For each stage you add, fill in:

Stage type (Required)

Choose what kind of step this is — for example cutting, mixing, assembly, welding, painting, testing, quality inspection, or packaging. This tells everyone at a glance what happens here.

Input materials and quantities (Required)

List the materials this stage uses and how much of each. You can enter a fixed quantity, or a ratio when the amount scales with batch size (for example "2 parts water to 1 part mix"). These are the items that will be taken out of stock and used up when a batch runs through this stage.

Expected wastage % (Optional)

Enter how much you normally lose at this step — offcuts, trim, evaporation, spillage. Setting this once means your material planning stays realistic, because Bizconnekt expects the loss instead of being surprised by it.

Resource or skill needed (Optional)

Say what does the work at this stage — a machine, a tool, or a skill (for example "welding bay", "mixer", or "trained finisher"). This is what scheduling uses later to decide when and where the stage can run.

Step 5: Put the stages in the right order​

Check that your stages read top to bottom the way the work really happens. Remember: the last stage produces the finished product, so it should be the step that completes the item — packing, final assembly, or a final check.

Step 6: Review and save​

Before saving, run down the route once:

  • The name is clear and tells this route apart from any other.
  • The finished item is the right product.
  • Every stage is in the correct order.
  • Each stage's materials, wastage and resource look right.

Click Add to save the route. It's now ready to be followed by any Work Order for this product.

What happens next​

  • If this product has only this one route, every batch you make will use it automatically.
  • If the product has more than one route, you'll pick this one (or another) when you raise the work order.
  • You can come back and edit the route any time — see View Work Order Processes.

Tips and best practices​

  • Name routes so you can tell them apart. If you make a product two ways, the name is the only thing that distinguishes them at the moment you raise a work order.
  • Set expected wastage honestly. A realistic loss figure keeps your material planning from coming up short.
  • Keep stages in real order. The route is a map of your shop floor — if the order is wrong, scheduling and material flow will be too.
  • Reuse, don't rebuild. Once a route exists, every batch follows it. You only build it again if the way you make the product genuinely changes.

Need help? Contact support at support@bizconnekt.com